Touhou - Lethal Liquor of Seventh Heaven
by joyous-sword
Summary: Lethal Liquor of Seventh Heaven follows Fujiwara no Mokou and Kaguya Houraisan, as a fierce rivalry turns into a daring and passionate search-and-rescue when the oblivious former upsets the latter to no return. Joined by Keine Kamishirasawa, Sumireko Usami and many others, Mokou's day goes from bland and slow to tumultuous and risky...
1. Part 1 - Three Centuries

Lethal Liquor of Seventh Heaven

Gensokyo, the Land of Fantasy, is a fictional land that largely resembles feudal Japan. Ages ago, it was nothing but a desolate, forsaken land that was terrorized by youkai—supernatural beings—until heroic and powerful humans showed up to exterminate them.

Fujiwara no Mokou is considered one of those humans. A loner by nature after being ostracized for so long, she lives in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, escorting the humans through the dark, vast and seemingly endless forest surrounded by thick bamboo trees. As the forest also housed a few youkai, Mokou also was able to protect humans with her pyrotechnical powers—the manipulation of fire. Additionally, a well-known secret about Mokou is that she has lived for longer than a millennium, courtesy of Kaguya Houraisan's patented Hourai Elixir. She consumed it in an act of revenge for Kaguya humiliating her father, and Mokou had become immortal.

One steady morning in the Bamboo Forest, Mokou was resting easy at her home, with no humans having stepped in her territory yet. She sat outside peeling fresh fruits, a small smile on her face as the sound of bird chirping in the background was her only acoustic support.

"...Slow day today," she murmured to herself, dropping a freshly peeled fruit into the straw basket sitting idle by her right side. "The humans must not want to bother crossing the Bamboo Forest..." After some time, her last freshly peeled fruit was set into the basket, which was filled to the brim at this point. Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand and heaving a sigh of relief, she looked at the basket before turning her head back out to the Bamboo Forest. It was a very foggy day out today, but the bright sun still shone clearly. The atmosphere put Mokou's mind at ease.

That was the case, however, until she heard footsteps approaching her home. Turning her head towards the sound of the footsteps along the ground, her smile faded and she turned to the sound with a somewhat disgusted face. She stood up slowly, greeting the young woman that approached without caution.

"No, no... you may resume sitting," said the approaching woman in a condescending manner. "It's only appropriate that trash such as yourself does not stand before a princess."

Kaguya Houraisan. She was a princess of the Lunarians, the race that presides on the Moon, before she was exiled to Earth. Her exile was regarding illegally creating the Hourai Elixir, and she is the first to have consumed it. She is the now the princess of Eientei, a mansion hidden deep within the Bamboo Forest. Consequentially, the two meeting up together is very frequent.

"As if you have dominion over me here," Mokou replied jokingly. "Quite the attitude... what do you need, anyway?" Kaguya merely laughed at her, clearing her throat as her voice echoed throughout the entire forest.

"Oh, I was just reminiscing our three-hundred-year fight... you and I, killing each other over and over again." Mokou narrowed her eyes. It was a rather unnecessary thing to bring up. "How lucky am I to have run into you! I've come to tell you that I will be returning to the Moon." Mokou's eyes widened as Kaguya laughed again.

"You're... going back again?" Mokou asked half-heartedly. She seemed less excited and more worried.

"Yes!" Kaguya cheerfully replied with a smug look on her face. "As the Lunarians have stopped hunting me for my crimes—heavens forfend that they could accuse anybody of anything—I have made the executive decision to return to the Moon and take back what is rightfully mine...my throne."

"And of course, you'd tell me in person... why, exactly?" Mokou said, taking a step forward. Kaguya scoffed.

"Because now this makes you the only human on Earth who will live forever." Kaguya's words were so direct that they were like knives being thrown with incredible accuracy. Mokou grunted, and Kaguya narrowed her eyes, realizing that she struck a nerve. Naturally, she decided to continue. "Of course, that doesn't make you sad, does it? Most of the humans you've guided through this forest have perished one way or another, and yet...you are alive to see it all. To yearn for such a thing, yet suffer to be alone in return..."

"...Shut up," Mokou said under her breath.

"I suppose that's a hidden effect of the elixir... you consumed it willingly, of course, to take revenge on me for humiliating your father, if I remember correctly." She knew what she was getting into; she wanted to instigate a fight with Mokou, and it was working. "I bet you didn't think that an emotional attachment would be possible, huh?"

"You're asking for it," Mokou replied a bit louder, with small embers emanating around her body.

"Come to think about it... I wonder if you still feel regret for killing Iwakasa for it?" That last sentence by Kaguya was enough to anger Mokou. Generally calm, her fury was shown as she took another step forward, flames flaring up underneath her footstep.

"_Kaguyaaa_!" Mokou shouted. "That's it! I've had enough of you bringing that up! This time, I'm definitely not going to forgive you!" She pointed her index finger out directly at Kaguya, who laughed just as loudly as she did before.

"Oh no!" Kaguya chuckled. "Oh, my heavens, what am I going to do if you won't forgive me—" Her sentence was cut short fairly quickly. With extreme speed, Mokou grabbed her by her throat, lifting her up and slamming her on the ground with a heavy hand. The collision could be heard throughout the forest, and it even shook the bamboo trees.

"Humans were put on this earth to live and die," Mokou shouted furiously, "what makes you think that you are any better simply because you defy that cycle!?" She clenched tightly around Kaguya's throat, making it difficult for her to speak. She grabbed Mokou's arm with both hands.

"Ask yourself the same question, you dog!" Kaguya shouted back. Lifting her foot up, she kicked Mokou back and away, causing her to release her grip. Kaguya managed to scramble to her feet quickly, rushing to Mokou and bringing her hand to her stomach. Mokou, who was too stunned to deflect the attack back, was struck by Kaguya's open palm; this simple movement caused Mokou to stop in time altogether. Kaguya then followed up with a sloppy yet weighted punch to the face, but it wasn't until she released her grip on time that Mokou was affected by the blow. Once she was, however, she was sent flying far back, landing on her side from the blow.

She sprung right back up after the attack, forming her hand like a claw. With a horizontal swipe, Mokou let loose a trail of flames that rose up from underneath the ground. Kaguya looked at the ground around her, noticing that the flames would soon rise up and engulf her. She leapt back hastily into the air to avoid the attack as the fire quickly rose up.

"Not yet!" Mokou exclaimed. Kaguya, who turned her attention away from the attack to look at Mokou, who rose up above the flames to meet her head on, slamming her fist into her stomach with great force. As she buried her knuckles into Kaguya's stomach, Mokou's entire arm ignited into flames and she finished delivering her punch, thrusting her fist out and propelling Kaguya down to the ground. With a great impact, she rattled the bamboo trees with the shockwave of hitting the dirt. Mokou landed quickly on the ground, right before Kaguya, who laid in a crater with a smile on her face.

"Just like old times, yes?" She laughed. Her body levitated out of the small crater, re-positioning herself to stand upright. She tilted her head at Mokou, cracking her neck and laughing. "You got so defensive all of a sudden... does me leaving hurt you that badly?"

"No, I'm just shutting you up because you've talked too damn much! I don't care if you disappeared forever!" Mokou shot back through her teeth. Her arm was still engulfed in flames, although the size decreased in intensity. Kaguya smirked, giggling.

"You don't _always_ have to hide your feelings, Mokou-chan," Kaguya joked. "But if you insist..." She held her arm out slowly, and almost as instantaneously as she did, the surrounding bamboo trees were sliced in parts. Their pointed edges surrounded Kaguya, facing outwards towards Mokou. With the snap of a finger, the hollowed sticks of bamboo were flung straight at Mokou. As if she had seen the attack coming, Mokou responded by deftly striking away the bamboo with a fiery fist. However, Kaguya was quick; she caught Mokou off guard from her side, and a sharp bamboo stick struck her through her arm. Gritting her teeth, she snatched the bamboo from her arm and pulled it right back out, dropping it on the ground. Her arm was bleeding profusely.

"...So annoying," Mokou complained. "What's your deal, anyway? What the hell is up with you!?"

"Ahaha, left yourself wide open!" Kaguya taunted. Mokou outstretched her wounded hand, and despite the blood leaking from it, she still had total control over it. Thanks to the Hourai Elixir, she was able to regenerate the damage done, and the wound had mended completely. Flexing her fingers, it was as if nothing happened. "Now then, have you finished this pointless struggle?" Kaguya asked.

Mokou's only response was that she sprinted up to Kaguya as she was barely paying attention, bringing an open hand to her face and grabbing it as she ran. Taking her completely off of her feet, Mokou jumped straight up with her, and with full force, she brought Kaguya's head down on the ground, deepening the crater that was already created.

"I've had more than enough of you, Kaguya!" She shouted, her hand still covering her face. Flames engulfed her entire body with a simple charge, and she clenched her teeth. The flames grew in intensity, causing the surrounding area to darken around them. "Spell Card: Let This Whole World Burn Away to Nothing!" She triggered her spell card with the scream of that command.

"Hmm...? What's that over there?" A schoolteacher by the name of Keine Kamishirasawa, who resided in the Human Village, could see the flames emanating in the distance towards the Bamboo Forest. Apparently, the heat was so strong that it was starting to darken the sky. Keine looked down to the children she was keeping watch over and tipped her building-shaped hat, pointing to the school building. "Alright, children! It's time to go back inside! Recess is over!" The children, of course, collectively groaned, but she paid them no mind. As they went back inside, Keine turned back to the flames. She squinted at them at first, before the flames suddenly disappeared. Seconds after, however, an explosion sounded off in the distance, with heat sparks rising to the clouds. The dome-like explosion seemed to cover only a fraction of the forest, but firepower of that caliber could only be explained by one natural cause.

"Mokou..." Keine uttered in complete worry. Leaving the children with their human guardians inside of the school, she left the playground, heading as quickly as she could to the Bamboo Forest.

Back in the forest, the explosion had finally subsided, and the dome of heat had subsided. Despite how massive and heavy the attack was, the bamboo in the area appeared to be unscathed, or at the very worst, slightly burnt. The resilience of the trees proved their worth. Mokou, who was panting heavily from the attack, managed to get a nosebleed from the heat. Looking down at the crater, however, Kaguya was nowhere to be seen. She was assumed to have been burnt to ashes, but even then, nothing of her remained. Kaguya would not be defeated so easily.

"Over here," said Kaguya in a sing-song voice. As expected, she not only lived the attack, she successfully evaded it and appeared behind Mokou. "You should have known that time manipulation would have saved me, Mokou-chan..." Mokou turned around quickly, trying to roundhouse kick Kaguya. However, the attack had missed as quickly as it was thrown out, for Kaguya simply took a step back. Mokou was too exhausted, however, to follow it up with anything. She wiped the blood away from her nose and staggered slightly.

"I got too carelessly provoked...?" Mokou grumbled. Kaguya's smirk faded away, turning into a small expression of annoyance.

"...This is our last meeting, Fujiwara no Mokou." She laid both of her arms out to her sides, and behind her, she created small distortions behind her, tearing through the air. Upon their creation, they surrounded Mokou from all sides, leaving her with no escape. Lifting her right arm up and pointing a singular finger, she brought it down quickly. "Spell Card: End of Imperishable Night – Morning Mist." The distortions surrounding Mokou grew brightly, and from within, small aetherial butterflies emerged, glowing a bright neon blue. Mokou looked around as they surrounded her, their wing speeds increasing in intensity as they went from floating around her to darting in a circular motion from all sides. Catching Mokou completely off guard, the butterflies dashed in at lightning-fast speeds, piercing right through her sides. The next struck through her arm, then another through her body, before all of the other butterflies started to swarm her. Kaguya could be heard laughing maniacally before she snapped her finger loudly, and the aetherial tears surrounding Mokou began glow brightly before exploding intensely. The explosion was similar to Mokou's spell card—the explosion covered nearly the entire forest, but the flames were blue in contrast to Mokou's fiery explosion.

Seeing the explosion as she entered the forest, Keine let out a shaky gasp. The explosion had not reached her, but the shockwave blew dust back against her. She kept her footing, nearly sliding back from the attack. Once the flames dissipated, she unguarded her face, and although she winced, she could see from one eye a figure that floated up in the sky.

"Kaguya... Houraisan?" Her eyes widened immediately. Kaguya, who was high up in the sky, turned her head around and looked down to see Keine staring at her. With a smirk on her face, Kaguya faced back up to the sky.

"It's time for me to go home again..." Kaguya said, turning her head away from Keine and towards the sky. Closing her eyes, she vanished instantaneously, leaving only light particles behind her.

"Oh no..." Keine thought to herself. "If Kaguya was here, then that means... Mokou!" She pulled her strange hat off of her head, and shut her eyes tight. Large demonic horns appeared from her head, her clothing changed to an emerald-green color and her eyes shone with a bright red. She had transformed into a hakutaku, a spiritual beast. In her new form, she received enhanced speed, and with her head held forward, she dashed through the forest; traversing every pathway that she knew at nigh-impossible speeds. After a moment, she came to an immediate halt, stopping at a crater that was near Mokou's home. She gasped loudly and replaced the hat back to her head, reverting back to her original form. Mokou was brutalized; bleeding all over the ground as holes riddled her body. She was unconscious, considered dead.

_Two years earlier..._

"Mokou! Mokou!"

"Yes, Kaguya?"

"I did it! I made it!"

Mokou, with Kaguya visiting her home, were both together one night. Mokou had just returned with a basket of various fruits from the forest strapped to her back. Setting them on her patio floor, she stretched her arms out. Kaguya, who had noticed her returning home, greeted her at the patio. In her hands were two sticks of yakitori, which was skewered chicken—something that Mokou was fond of making. Kaguya pointed one stick of the cooked meat out to Mokou, and Mokou was taken aback as a response. Although Mokou was fond of the gesture... Kaguya was a terrible cook.

"Ah... yakitori?" Mokou bleakly smiled. Examining the food, it seemed to have been cooked through and through, and it was marinated with sweet and sour sauce. On top of that, the scent was impressive, as if Mokou made it herself.

"Yes, indeed! I have perfected my culinary arts by watching you!" Kaguya swaggered, nodding twice. Mokou looked at the yakitori, then back to Kaguya with a slight blushing smile. She took the yakitori from her and moved to sit at the edge of the patio, looking up into the sky. Kaguya sat down beside her. The sky was a very vibrant navy blue, with the bright white moon shining down with a lustrous glare. The sound of crickets chirping in the background was their orchestra for the night.

"It's awfully bright tonight..." Mokou murmured to herself. Despite this, Kaguya could still hear her. She smiled at Mokou before looking back up at the moon, her smile fading into a frown.

"Yes... it is indeed quite bright." She took her gaze away from the moon, looking down at her yakitori. With her hunger looming over her, she took the first bite. Closing her eyes, she savored the flavor of the sweet and sour sauce with the cooked chicken. She hummed in pleasure, prompting Mokou to try it herself. Shutting her eyes tight and preparing for the worst, she took the first bite. It took her a few moments to chew and swallow, and Kaguya was practically staring at her the whole entire time, eager for a response.

"It's pretty good!" Mokou said. "You did a good job making this... I'm actually quite impressed."

"Truly?" Kaguya replied excitedly. "Oh, perfect! I suppose I really _do_ know how to cook! Take that, Eirin!" She laughed heartily.

"_Goddamn it,_" Mokou thought to herself. "_It's burnt on the inside, and the sweet sauce—on top of other things—is expired and aged beyond mortal consumption. I'm going to die tonight._"

"The Moon... it's been so long," Kaguya said to herself, taking another bite of her yakitori. "I still think about my exile, although I'm quite content being in Gensokyo now." She smiled down at the ground. "You've done a lot for me. Eirin and Reisen too, but... I enjoy your company the most, believe it or not."

"Well..." Mokou cleared her throat. "Killing each other over and over again for three-hundred years, having you send assassins to attack me and having you embarrass my father didn't really seem like favors, but... I suppose that everything we've done after the fact has been better than your experience on the Moon." Kaguya chuckled nervously as she wrapped her arm around Mokou, who was surprised by the act but was okay with it nonetheless.

"Oh, do not worry about that, Mokou! We've set our differences aside. I can't think of anything that could come between us! You know, other than the occasional buffet and Super Mario rally."

"Marisa still hasn't returned that game," Mokou grumbled. "Anyway, Kaguya... it's getting late, and I may sleep." Mokou stood up and stretched Kaguya's arm off, grabbing her fruit basket. "Good work on the yakitori... I'll have to show you a few tricks next time to really make it shine."

"Ah, wait, Mokou!" Kaguya called out, before Mokou proceeded indoors. Mokou stopped walking, but she only turned her head slightly to hear her out. "Do you... mind if I sleep with you tonight? Eirin's away in the Outside World to take care of some medications..." Mokou paused for a second, closing her eyes tight.

"...Sorry, Kaguya. I need my bed to myself tonight. I'll... be busy tomorrow." Kaguya frowned, sitting back upright on the patio.

"No, that's... that's quite alright! I'll just return tomorrow..." Kaguya stood up, looking away from Mokou and walking off into the woods, presumably returning to Eientei. Mokou slid open her door, looking back at Kaguya as she walked off. A miserable scowl stretched across her face from denying her a place to sleep.

"...Ugh. I'm sorry..." She shut the door behind her soon after, and the echoing sounds of the door sliding closed filled the forest.

_Current date_

"Huh!?"

Mokou jolted awake suddenly. She laid on a tatami bed, topless—save for a sarashi wrap that covered her breasts—and patches that covered her body. Her regenerative properties allowed her to recover from death, although her body was groggy and weak. She held her head as the world was spinning around her. Trying to recover her senses, she looked around the room to get a better look at her surroundings. She was in her own home, more specifically in her room. Looking out of the nearest window, she could tell that evening had just fallen and the sky was painted with an orange color.

"Mokou!?" She heard somebody call her name. The sliding door opened up quickly, and Mokou blinked twice before seeing who it was. Surely enough, it was Keine Kamishirasawa, who heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank goodness... you're awake," Keine beamed, rushing to her side. "Does it still hurt? Do you need more treatment?"

"Keine?" Mokou grunted. "How long have I been out for...? Where's Kaguya?" Mokou looked around. She tried to stand up, but Keine grabbed her arm and set her back down gently.

"Mokou, no! Lay down... rest a bit," Keine quaked. "You just recovered from death, and you've been out for three months now. Me and Sumireko—"

"Three months!?" Mokou exclaimed. "No... she has to be gone by now, back to the Moon..." She set her head back down on the pillow on her tatami bed. Closing her eyes and covering her face, she knew she was too late. "Kaguya... I'm sorry..."

"I heard a noise!" Another voice piped up, sliding the door open to the bedroom. Bursting through it hastily was the leader of the Secret Sealing Club, Sumireko Usami. She was not wearing her typical high-collared cloak, leaving her with just her school uniform. "Oh! Is she awake?" Sumireko asked.

"Yes, Sumi," Mokou replied with a groan. "You've got the power of ESP and you couldn't even tell that...?" She grumbled inaudibly, trying to sit back up. "Anyway... three months...?"

"That's correct," Keine responded. "You remember your fight with her, right...? I noticed two large explosions from when I was in the human town before coming here... I notified Sumireko as quickly as I could."

"It's a relief that you woke up so quickly," Sumireko replied. "Keine-sensei told me about your injuries so I wanted to help by putting my Zanar cards to use." Mokou smirked slightly. Despite her own regeneration, the assistance of the two helped her to relax more easily.

"Anyway, Mokou... what's the deal with you and Kaguya?" Almost fifty consecutive years of you two not fighting and now... this?"

"I just remember that she started it," Mokou said. Sumireko approached alongside Keine, handing Mokou a mug of warm matcha tea. She took it in hand, but did not take a sip. "She brought up our three-hundred-year fight, then instigated me to challenge her by picking me apart. Said that she would return to the Moon to reclaim what was rightfully hers. As far as why she started it..." She paused, setting the tea in her lap. She was deep in thought.

"You think that maybe she wants to relive that thrill of battle?" Keine asked. "She doesn't have a reason to, if I recall. She was always so recluse..." Mokou squeezed the mug in her hand.

"...Perhaps she doesn't take rejection too well," Mokou muttered. "Just the same as she tried to make me feel, reading me the riot act before leaving to the Moon..."

"Rejection?" Sumireko thought, pressing a single digit to her cheek. "Are you trying to say that Kaguya has feelings for you?" Her deductive reasoning was spot on. Mokou pursed her lips slightly, bringing the tea closer to her so that she could partake in it.

"We've... tried to get closer since our fights. It's not like I've been trying to push her away, but..." Mokou's voice trailed off. "I know how she feels being alone. I'm just used to it, so I prefer it..."

"So, she killed you and fled to the Moon... We haven't seen her since, Mokou." Mokou released a shaky sigh of discomfort at Keine's words. Her disappointment couldn't have been clearer. Sumireko turned to Keine and nodded, standing up and walking out of the room quickly. Keine put her hands on Mokou's shoulders.

"...Mokou." Keine tried grabbing her attention as she held her head down. She picked her head up slowly to face Keine, a defeated expression on her face. "Get some rest. Sumireko's going to Eientei as we planned while you were asleep."

"...For what?" Mokou asked, confused.

"Kaguya is gone, but... Reisen and Eirin are still here. Eirin, of all people, hasn't noticed Kaguya's disappearance; she has not even left the estate to begin searching for her." Mokou's eyes widened. "So, Sumireko is going to rally Eirin and most likely Reisen as well in order to find a way to the Moon... they know they way through Youkai Mountain, after all."

"Ah, the Mount Fuji of Gensokyo... damn it. We're not taking Sumi with us, are we...? You know how the youkai around there feel about humans."

"Oh, don't worry about that. She'll be protected by a were-hakutaku, two Lunarians and... you." Keine smiled, and Mokou scoffed.

"Very well. Give me a week's worth of rest and I'll meet with the Lunarians." Mokou laid flat on the tatami bed, lifting her arms up and relaxing her hands behind her head. Keine nodded and stood back up one foot at a time, beaming with delight at her. With no further words, Keine left the room and shut the door behind her, leaving Mokou in the room by herself. As the door shut, a sullen mood breezed through her like warm winds.

"_You've done a lot for me._" Kaguya's words echoed in her head. She turned over in the bed and choked back a few tears, despite her strong demeanor.

"...Kaguya..." She closed her eyes and returned to sleep, and the sunset disappeared behind the trees only for the Moon to return again. One week's worth of time was all she needed... and she would make right what had gone so horribly wrong.


	2. Part 2 - Awakening

_Six days later..._

"Hey! I'm back!" Sumireko called out, sliding the door open to enter Mokou's home. Kicking her shoes off at the doorstep, she stretched her arms up and out to her sides. It was a bright and early morning for her, as she had just returned from Eientei after being away for nearly a week. "Oh dear, the things that I have to go through..." Sumireko thought to herself. "Anything for Mokou, though..."

"Welcome back, Sumi." Mokou had poked her head from around the corner of the room at the end of the entryway, leading into the kitchen. Acting fully mobile, Mokou had returned to cutting the fruits she had gathered before they had gone bad. There were still some patches on her body, mainly on her arms, but she had made a full recovery nonetheless. "How did the trip go?" She asked Sumireko, who walked into the kitchen area behind her.

"It took six whole days to get to and from Eientei, but... I managed to get the attention of both Reisen Udongein Inaba and Eirin Yagokoro." Dropping a cleanly cut apple into the nearly full basket, she set the knife down on the counter and turned to face Sumireko. "Additionally, they're..."

"Where is she? Where is that human girl!?" A voice could be heard shouting outside of Mokou's front door. They both looked toward the door, and then at each other. Mokou flashed Sumireko a disturbed glance, and Sumireko returned it with a bleak smile. Mokou moved to the door, sliding it open slowly with Sumireko hiding behind the corner of the kitchen wall.

"Well, speak of the devil." Standing at the door before her were the two expected guests: Eirin Yagokoro, a seasoned doctor with centuries of experience under her belt—as well as being the creator of the Hourai Elixir—and Reisen Udongein Inaba, one of the legendary moon rabbits hailing from the Moon itself. However, she seemed to have been drenched in water for some reason... soaked through and through. She was shaking and clearly angry.

"Ah, Mokou. Sometimes I forget you live here," Eirin smiled. "Still as alive as ever, hmm?" Mokou shrugged at her, nodding.

"Clearly, as I'm standing in front of you," Mokou replied.

"Enough of these formalities," Reisen grumbled, shaking the water off of her undulating rabbit ears. "Where is the human capable of ESP usage? I can sense traces of her hydrokinetic powers from here, so don't try to hide her." She pointed two fingers at Mokou, shaping them like a gun. As jokingly as it appeared, Mokou knew very well that Reisen can fire magical bullets straight from them.

"Hands down, rabbit," Mokou said, narrowing her eyes before looking to Eirin. "So, I can only guess that you're both here to discuss the missing princess?" Eirin nodded back in affirmation. Mokou nodded back to the two, stepping to the side to allow them in. Out of respect, they both removed their shoes the same as Sumireko did. As they both entered, Sumireko nonchalantly emerged from the kitchen, waving to them.

"Hey, you two!" She smiled. "My name is Sumireko Usami—" Reisen immediately lifted her fingers up to Sumireko and took aim, and not even a second later, she immediately fired a large bullet that flew past her. It flew right into the kitchen and out the window, hitting not a single thing within the house. The bullet, however, did end up exploding outside, and it shook the house somewhat. Nobody in the house moved a muscle, especially not Sumireko, who was the target.

"I _don't_ miss a second time," Reisen growled, blowing the smoke off of her fingers. "Please do not dump water on me ever again, or you will be turned into Swiss cheese." Sumireko dropped her arm, her mouth agape as she was caught off guard.

"Right. Fair enough," she replied with a mumble. Mokou took Reisen's arm and set it down, gritting her teeth.

"Anyway," Mokou forced, "Let's get to conversing. Keine should be returning from the human village eventually with more medicinal herbs... that I do not need." She sighed. "Regardless... you two. How the hell were _neither_ of you aware of her returning to the Moon? She had to have talked to you both about this before coming to me." Mokou gestured to Eirin and Reine, before pointing at Eirin directly. "Especially you, Eirin, given your 'hyper-intelligence.'" She put air quotes around her words, and Eirin merely ignored the tactful rudeness.

"Well, typical Kaguya," Eirin said. "As I serve her, she never wants to speak to me too eagerly. The abrupt silence is the only thing that kept me wondering what was wrong with her, but it wasn't until that human... Sumireko, was it? It wasn't until she informed me that I knew something had gone wrong."

"Why the Moon, though?" Reisen asked, pressing a bent finger against her chin. "She's exiled from there, just the same as us."

"If it helps any, I'll tell you what she told me before we fought. She mentioned that the Lunarians—your race—have stopped hunting her. She said that she would also return to the Moon and claim what was 'rightfully hers...' And something about a throne."

"Well, first of all, the Lunarians have _not_ stopped hunting us," Reisen said with her hands on her hips. "That can't be true and she knows it."

"Still, throne...?" Eirin said, looking to Reisen, who exchanged a look with her. "Lord Tsukuyomi owns the throne, unless... she means something different."

"Might she be speaking metaphorically? I get that Kaguya is very powerful, but Tsukuyomi has lived for millions of years. Given the opportunity, regeneration or not, he would see to it that she would be very easily destroyed." The two continued to murmur amongst each other, thinking of probable reasons as to why Kaguya fled to the moon without reason. Mokou tapped her feet impatiently, folding her arms.

"_Anyway,_" Mokou intervened, "regardless of the reasoning... we need to get her back." Eirin stopped mid-conversation, looking to Mokou with stunned silence before raising an eyebrow.

"...'We?'" Eirin accentuated. Mokou felt her heart jump a little bit. "Are you saying that you're _actually _volunteering to find Princess Kaguya?"

"Er, by 'we,' I mean you guys." Mokou fumbled her words a bit. "I'm just helping to... uhh..." Turning her attention to Sumireko, she wrapped her arm behind her back. "Help Sumireko finish a school project. What was it again, Sumi? 'Lunar Capital Architecture'?" Sumireko looked at her, then to the other two weakly.

"Uhm... yeah! But I can't go through Youkai Mountain alone... it's scary and they'll eat a human like me up!" She managed to say through her teeth, gritting them slowly. Reisen sneered at her, as if that was exactly what she wanted.

"...Very well. I'm not sure what your true intentions are, Mokou, but I'm glad you're going to help us locate Princess Kaguya. Just a fair warning, however... if this is a hare-brained scheme to do harm to her, I will have no choice but to strike you down." Mokou nodded in agreement, as she knew what her own intentions were.

"I'm back, Mokou!" It was Keine's voice this time, as she was right outside. Sliding the door open, she had two small basketfuls of herbs, specifically for medicinal purposes. "I've brought back the herbs for your rear and—" She stopped midsentence, noticing that Eirin and Reisen were there. She paused all motions, save for the small blush on her face.

"...Medicine for your rear?" Eirin said with narrow eyes, as if she were disgusted. Mokou clenched her teeth.

"Listen, if we don't leave in the next five minutes, _you_ will be the ones needing the herbs," Mokou replied sternly.

_Youkai Mountain_

After about a day of travel, Mokou and the party nearly arrived at the base of Youkai Mountain. With it being Gensokyo's largest mountain and volcano, it was impossible not to notice it. The base of the mountain, which was adorned with waterfalls and trees, almost made the rocky area impossible to see without actually going inside. The only person unfamiliar with the zone altogether was Sumireko. As she was a human, she was most unwelcome to Youkai Mountain, where—as the name implies—only youkai are permitted to trespass the land, and even then, they are running a risk if they are not native to it. She took note of the sights and smells, and it was very fascinating to her.

"Wow... it's actually really pretty here," Sumireko commented.

"Ah, I love it." Mokou inhaled sharply, taking in the atmosphere. "Cloudy weather, crashing waterfalls, the stench of youkai blood... it's nice to take a vacation." It was hard to tell if she was being serious, or if she was being facetious.

"We will have to tread lightly," Eirin spoke softly. "Youkai or not, the creatures in this forest pose a great threat to humans." She gestured to Sumireko. "I don't know why you bothered to take her along, Mokou, but..."

"You worry about me too much," Sumireko said. She flicked the brim of her black hat with her index finger, scoffing. Her large high-collared cloak, littered with travelling runes all over the red interior, helped to channel her ESP into many different and unique psychic powers. "I can handle my own quite well, Lunarian."

"We'll just see about that," Reisen mumbled. "You're lucky Mokou's here with you."

"Well," Keine cut in to derail the conversation, "we should progress while there's still daylight, before any youkai show up." She took approximately two steps forward before coming to a halt. Looking ahead, the trees began undulating, but there was no wind blowing through them. They shook as if somebody was shaking them by force, but there was nobody near. Finally, after some time, the trees stopped, and their lustrous green colors had begun to change to a red-orange coloration, as if autumn was taking place right before their eyes.

"Well, that didn't take long, did it?" Mokou said, looking at the surrounding trees transform in color as her arms flared up in heat. Eirin drew her bow through the use of magical summoning, Reisen readied her hands to fire, and Sumireko prepared her Zener cards; cards that she used to channel her ESP. Keine reached for her hat, ready to transform into her were-hakutaku form at a moment's notice without the moon's guidance.

"Look, look..." A voice echoed from the trees. "It's them, the trespassers!"

"We shall destroy them, and relish in an endless autumn!" Another voice echoed. Eirin sighed, releasing her bow as it vanished back into magical aether.

"Oh, it's just the Aki twins," Eirin stated. Shizuha Aki and Minoriko Aki, who have total control over autumn weather, were trying to intimidate them at the foot of the mountain. "We would be fine just pressing on."

"Better idea," Reisen chuckled, pointing her fingers at the trees. Light charged up in her finger, ready to fire off a powerful bullet.

"Wait, wait!" Shizuha fell from one of the trees, still managing to land on her feet. "W-we're not being serious! Please don't shoot my trees! It took forever to get these painted properly for my sister!" Reisen, who noticed their appearance, uncharged her bullet slowly upon their request.

"...My aim was in the right place, too. Shoot." She put her arms down, and Shizuha let out a sigh of relief. In response to that, everybody else resumed a normal stance, with Mokou dusting the flames off of her arms. Approaching the crowd, Shizuha—along with Minoriko, who descended beside her slowly—met them with a smile on their face.

"Ah, Eirin Yagokoro..." Minoriko spoke, bowing slightly. "I have been doing my best keeping your peony field tended to. They have blossomed quite well."

"It is for that reason that a youkai such as yourself garners a fair amount of faith," Eirin replied. "In any event... has Princess Kaguya crossed through here? Have you seen her?" The two girls looked to each other for a moment before turning back to Eirin and the others, nodding simultaneously with serious looks on their faces.

"Yes," Shizuha replied. "Princess Kaguya travelled through Youkai Mountain, stating that she would return to the Moon through the mouth of the volcano."

"How long ago was this?" Reisen piped up. "I know there's been some activity with the mountain recently, but I chalked it up to Momiji tossing humans into it." She chuckled to herself.

"It's been a few days since Kaguya actually managed to flee to the moon," Minoriko said, in response to Reisen's question. "This is, of course, what I managed to hear from that odd engineering kappa named Nitori."

"So, she's already gone," Mokou grumbled, her hands in her pockets. A forlorn expression was drawn all over her face.

"Not necessarily," Shizuha said cheerfully.

"That's right," Eirin chimed in. "Kaguya has manipulation over eternity. As she created this portal to the Moon, she had to have left some residue; a tear, as one would call it, that would allow for 'shared travel.'"

"So, we have to _actually_ climb Youkai Mountain?" Mokou groaned. "I swear, Princess, you're more trouble than you're worth..."

"If she means that much to you," Sumireko finally spoke up with a smile, "then we'll get to her together." Mokou nodded back to her, smiling weakly.

"If you want to follow us," Minoriko nodded to the group, "we can guide you as close to the summit as we can. We're not permitted to go very far before the tengu catch up to us." After finishing their conversation, the Aki sisters motioned for them to enter the forest, allowing them to follow behind. They entered the forest, leaving the clearing behind them.

"Yeah... it'll be worth the climb," Mokou thought to herself.

_Lunar Capital, The Moon_

"You shouldn't have come back here."

The Lunar Capital, located on the far side of the Moon, is a metropolis—the only metropolis known on the Moon—is far more advanced than that of the Outside World, where Sumireko hails from. The capital is protected by a barrier that blocks outside access, but it can be bypassed through the Moon's oceans, which are both vast and deep. Gensokyo inhabitants are well aware of the Lunar Capital's presence, as the war that had taken place involved the Lunarians and Gensokyo natives.

Kaguya Houraisan, who returned to the Moon quickly through Youkai Mountain, was immediately met with apprehension as she was surrounded by soldiers of the Lunar Capital; weapons were drawn and blades were protruding out towards her. To subdue her and prevent her from using her manipulation of eternity, Sagume Kishin was called to stop her. Placed and cuffs and brought to her knees, Sagume stood before her, her hand close to her own face.

"Oh, do not _dare _act all high and mighty because you have 'caught me,' amanojaku. You and your kind are not even fit to be on _my_ Moon." Sagume laughed at her, her hand to her mouth to cover it.

"Hmm..." That was Sagume's solitary reply, as she did not speak very much. She beckoned one of the guards over with a finger, who marched over with a clean paper in hand.

"Lunar Capital Rule 3C, Subsection D1; residents banished from the Moon must not return, regardless of social stature or status. Failure to comply will result in execution," warned the soldier. Kaguya scoffed at the guard.

"Oh? Well, what an unfortunate turn of events... do you know who I am?" Kaguya raised her voice. "I am Princess Kaguya Houraisan, Eientei's guardian and Lunar Capital resident. I shall not be going anywhere with the likes of you, and—" Kaguya's sentence was stopped abruptly, as she could feel something sharp penetrating her chest. Looking down, the blade of a spear had been driven through her. Behind her, Sagume let go of the spear, as she was the one who dealt the blow. Blood leaked through her clothing and out of her mouth as well. She could still breathe fine, but the sudden numbness and pain affected her greatly.

"...Hand slipped," Sagume said, letting out a slight chuckle. "Don't worry... I'll make sure another doesn't go through you." A glimmer of light shone from her eyes as she uttered those words; as if from out of nowhere, another spear came down from the sky and crossed over with the other lance, piercing through Kaguya's already injured body. She trembled before letting out a scream of pain, struggling through the lances. This misfortune happened through Sagume's hidden ability; she is able to reverse a situation with her words. In trying to "prevent" another spear from attacking her, another came down anyway to strike.

"Y-you heathen!" Kaguya shouted, as more blood dribbled from her mouth and adding to the pool already on the ground. "Release me at once!"

"Mmm...?" Sagume hummed, daring not to speak any further. Kaguya continued to squirm despite the lances in her as her consciousness started to slip away. Her eyesight started to go dark, and the coloration in her was gone.

"Unwanted on Gensokyo, unwanted on the Moon... why...? I just... I wanted..." Kaguya shut her eyes tight, fighting the tears in her eyes. "Mokou... I've made a huge mistake. Please help me..." She clenched her fists, still cuffed.

"She won't have long before her blood loss causes her to fall asleep," one of the guards said, withdrawing his weapon. "We will detain her shortly afterwards, Ms. Kishin." Sagume nodded to the guard, saying no more, as she was likely to abuse her powers by mistake. Leaving the soldiers to monitor Kaguya, Sagume departed. Mokou's whimpering could be heard echoing.

"She has nobody coming for her," Sagume mumbled to herself. "This will be quite easy."

The same glimmer flickered across her eye yet again...


	3. Part 3 - Waterfall of the Nine Heavens

_The Waterfall of the Nine Heavens_

"This is as far as we can take you," Minoriko stated to the group. "We are not allowed to traverse far past this point. We must return to the foot of the mountain."

"Thank you kindly for the shortcut," Mokou replied to them. "It cut out a few hours of our trip."

Around the center of the mountain, the Aki twins guided them successfully to the Waterfall of the Nine Heavens. The waterfall itself was massive, hence the name it was given by the youkai. The water travels down the Untrodden Valley, which is a river located miles down from their current location, further accentuating its size and glory. The youkai that arrive here know that they are getting closer to the summit upon basking in its view. With only a simple wave signifying their farewell, Shizuha and Minoriko took their leave of the waterfall, making their way back down the mountain and returning to the base. The colors changed from green to red-orange temporarily in their wake.

"Hmm... the waterfall seems to be a dead end," Sumireko pondered, a finger to her cheek as she surveyed the area. "Where do we go from here?"

"We have to scale the waterfall," Eirin said, looking up at it. Sumireko looked up just the same, her eyes widening the higher she looked up. The waterfall was mesmerizing, but massive; to scale it with the pressure it was bringing down, they were likely to drown.

"...We're climbing up the waterfall?" Sumireko said aloud. "That's a lot of counter pressure."

"Well, if you can't make it, it's not too late for you to turn around," Reisen joked. Sumireko puffed her cheeks out at the moon rabbit. Mokou stepped forward to the mountain, standing before the deep pond that the base of the waterfall crashed its waves upon. Looking up to the top, the summit was visible, and the waterfall led close enough to the top.

"If we can scale this waterfall, we should be able to see the tear," Mokou thought to herself with narrowed eyes. "I'm coming for you, Kaguya." She clenched her fist tightly.

"Mokou! Watch out!" Keine shouted. Mokou, who let her guard down for a second, was quickly grabbed by Keine and pulled away from the water. The sound of ringing steel filled the atmosphere almost a split second after; Mokou was nearly struck by a blade that managed to slice off a small lock of her silvery white hair. The both of them landed on their feet, looking at their assailant.

"Bringing a human upon our sacred land... you don't belong here," the sudden figure shouted. "Turn around and leave at once!" Catching a firm glimpse at their attacker, their appearance was very easy to determine: wolf ears, tokin hat, and a scimitar blade with a shield that had a maple leaf design on it. All of those things could only belong to the leader of the White Wolf Tengu, Momiji Inubashiri.

"It's the White Wolf Tengu..." Sumireko gasped. "So awesome!" Momiji held her scimitar blade pointed out at Mokou before diverting her attention to Sumireko.

"Die, human!" Momiji shouted, positioning herself forward before dashing off of the ground, kicking up dirt in her wake. Her speed was impossible to gauge. Sumireko unflinchingly pulled a Zener card from her waist, throwing it outward and treating it like a spell card. The card was a simple gold circle on a white facing, and with a sharp glow, a fiery force field was created surrounding her. This happened simultaneously with Momiji's strike, and the blade collided with the field. Flames sparked out from the velocity of her attack, and Sumireko struck a palm against the card to explode the force field around her. The attack threw Momiji back, but she was successful in deflecting the flames with her shield; a surprising feat, giving how small her shield was.

"Momiji, hold!" Eirin exclaimed to the Tengu, standing beside Sumireko. Reisen lined up on the other side of her, a finger pointed to fire a bullet at any given moment. "We're not seeking to trespass without reason. We must reach the summit of Youkai Mountain; Kaguya Houraisan has returned to the Moon and we're seeking to bring her back!"

"Princess Kaguya told me that you are taking this human through our mountain and defiling it with your impurities!" Momiji shouted back, swiping her sword at the air before pointing it forward. "I will not allow this to pass, even if I must defeat you all by myself! Prepare!" She dashed off of the ground yet again, using her full speed this time. Her movement was nigh-instantaneous; within almost a split second, she appeared behind Sumireko, although a few feet away.

"Spell Card: Expellee's Caanan!" Momiji shouted, her voice echoing through the trees.

"Sumi! Behind you!" Mokou shouted. Sumireko, who gasped in surprise after turning around, noticed Momiji charging her blade. It glowed with a large blue light, and with a quick swipe, the blade let loose a horizontal energy wave—through the use of her danmaku—that expanded the further it travelled. Eirin and Reisen were quick enough to dodge out of the way, but Sumireko was left stunned, reaching for a Zener card knowing full well that it would be too late. The unavoidable wave cut right through Sumireko, sending her flying back from the force of the attack. Rolling along the ground, she fell right into the deep pond, unconscious.

"Sumireko!" Keine shouted. Reisen, who landed right on her feet after dodging the attack, pointed her fingers forward and immediately fired off a concentrated shot at Momiji. Holding her shield up, Momiji predicted the attack and reflected the bullet, smacking it right into the face of the mountain. Upon impact, the ground shook from the explosion of the bullet as a small crater surfaced on the mountain. Letting little to no time for Momiji to breathe, she continued firing off a barrage of bullets; although they were weaker, they applied pressure to keep her locked down.

"The river!" Eirin shouted. Pointing outward down the stream through which the waterfalls waves travelled, Sumireko's body was caught by the current and it was being carried away. Judging by her wounds, she was not bleeding too much if at all, but the wave did cause some scuffing on her clothes.

"I will get her!" Keine volunteered. Removing her unique hat, her hair color changed quickly, and her hakutaku horns grew in. Utilizing the powers of her form, she sprinted along the water's waves, moving fast enough as to not sink in the water. Momiji, who reflected bullet after bullet, caught Keine trying to save the girl and attempted to evade the cover fire. Mokou, predicting her movements, managed to step in front of her just in time, halting her momentum and sending a flame-infused punch to her stomach, blasting her back into the rocky mountain face.

"Alright, dog girl..." Mokou faced Momiji, who was plastered to the rock wall. "We're getting up there, one way or another. And damn it all if I let you stop us!" Breaking off in a full sprint, Mokou ran along the water, straight to the waterfall. Mokou disappeared into the mist; it was only seconds after that she could be seen running _up_ the waterfall, looking to Momiji. The tengu managed to break herself free of the wall, meeting Mokou's gaze.

"Undying one! I will handle you!" Leaping from her crater, she dropped down to meet Mokou. With several swipes of her blade, she tried to cut Mokou down with beams. Mokou drifted against the waterfall's waves from side to side, somersaulting over the beams that threatened to cut her down. The beams that missed cut through the waterfall, stopping the waves temporarily as they crashed right back down. Skimming along the edge of the waters, Momiji intercepted Mokou's travel velocity, backhanding her quickly with her maple shield. Mokou had only partially blocked the attack, not able to defend herself right away. Mokou fell back down the waterfall, stuck between the pond and Momiji, who was charging yet another slash. Mokou clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes as Momiji reaped the air, sending the blade beam at Mokou.

"...Gotcha," Mokou said under her breath. Throwing her right arm out beside her, she discharged a small burst of flames, propelling herself away from both the waterfall and Momiji's beam. Momiji, who couldn't see the dodge until it was too late, turned her head to her opponent, who was gliding down the waterfall. Mokou grabbed the tengu by her canine tail, pivoting to Eirin. With a forceful grunt, she launched Momiji to the ground. Eirin, who had an arrow primed and ready in her crescent-shaped bow, fired a fully charged arrow at the flying Momiji. The arrow was not meant to kill, however; magicked energy twisted around the arrow, and once it collided with Momiji, it constricted her, acting as a rope. She hit the ground hard, with her sword and shield falling down beside her. Reisen pointed her finger at Momiji as an act of security, and Mokou landed on the ground feet first next to the two with a loud thud.

"Secured," Eirin huffed. "Momiji, you're still as troublesome as ever, being so strict with your job like this." She watched as Momiji gnawed on the arrow coiling her, with no other way of freeing herself. She rolled and spun around in circles, growling loudly.

"Get it off! Get it off!" She complained loudly, continuing to bite the indestructible arrow.

"Momiji, heel!" Reisen shouted. Momiji's ears perked up and she stopped moving, looking to the trio with a scowl.

"Undying one, with those damned Lunarians..." Momiji said through her teeth. "You may have defeated me here, but if you kill me, then you shall—"

"We're not here to kill you," Mokou sighed. "We're trying to get to the summit and you're literally preventing us from doing so, idiot." Momiji's ears drooped and she blushed out of embarrassment.

"...Oh," Momiji uttered. "Then... the human that was with you...?"

"She's fine," Keine shouted. She had put her hat back on and her hair reverted blue, with a semi-conscious Sumireko over her shoulders. Her clothing was wet from travelling through the river. "Still breathing, just a bit winded. She'll come to momentarily." She knelt down, laying Sumireko's back on the ground. Eirin approached on the other side, and the two examined her together to make sure the blade attack didn't do lasting damage.

"...Should've bombed instead of trying to dodge," Mokou joked under her breath, scoffing. She turned to Momiji, who looked back at her with a face that had a mixed emotion of regret and frustration. "Anyway, Momiji... what the Princess said was incorrect information. We're not here to defile the mountain, although it's too late for that, I suppose." She looked at the face of the mountain, which was riddled with cracks and holes from their combat.

"Then why are you here?" Momiji asked blatantly. A confused expression was etched on her face.

"I'm actually here to get the Princess back," Mokou confidently said, pointing at herself. Momiji heaved a heavy sigh.

"...Sounds like she doesn't want that," Momiji narrowed her eyes. "But, alas... I've failed my mission. Unchain me, so that I may show you a better way to the summit."

"There's a quicker way than scaling the waterfall?" Reisen asked. "Good. I hate surfing on heavy waves." She put her hands down, discharging all of the slight bullets she created. Eirin, who had finished checking on Sumireko, simply tapped the arrow that bound Momiji, and it disappeared in light aether. Scratching her ears and stretching her arms out, Momiji yawned, picking up her sword and shield. She placed both items on her back, where it was secure.

"I humbly apologize," Momiji said, bowing to Mokou. "As you know, I am bound by duty to protect this mountain and its inhabitants; I was too easily persuaded by the Princess's words."

"C'mon, enough of that," Mokou said with a weak blush on her face. "Don't need all of the formalities... you're fine. Let's just get a move on already."

"Ugh. What happened, exactly?" Sumireko groaned, sitting upright. Keine continued kneeling down, making sure she was alright. Shaking her head, Sumireko stood up, dusting her large cloak off. There were some tatters from the blade's attack, but it was nothing she couldn't stitch up later.

"Ah, Sumireko." Mokou cracked a slight smile at her.

"Alright, human," Reisen coughed, narrowing her eyes toward Sumireko. "I'm asking you this as seriously as I can be; are you sure you're okay to press on? Momiji can easily guide you back to the realm of the Outside World, should you wish it, and..."

"I'm continuing with Mokou," Sumireko said, counting her Zener cards to make sure that they were all there. "I was caught off guard, nothing more... I can still go on." She held a smirk of determination as she flicked the brim of her hat.

"...You're hopeless," Reisen grumbled underneath a breathy sigh. "You remind me too much of that witch Marisa. Anyway, if you're sure... Momiji?"

"Yes, I'll lead the way to the top now. But you can't tell anybody about this shortcut, or else they'll die and so will you if I find out." Her words stretched to everybody, but they were mainly meant for Sumireko, one of the few humans that dared to traverse the mountain. They all nodded collectively, and Momiji turned to the mountain, pulling her blade out from her back. "There's a cavern on the other side of this waterfall. On my call, you are to dash across the pond before the waterfall closes." Following her instructions, everybody lined up at the edge of the pond, looking at the waterfall. With more flare than what was needed, Momiji spun her sword in her hand twice before lifting it up above her head, charging up for yet another blade beam.

"Here it comes," Mokou said aloud. Momiji's sword shone brighter and brighter, clenching her teeth from the sheer power she was charging up. Leaning her blade back, she finally swung it forward. The beam of the blade travelled at lightning speed. The waterfall was unmoving for a few seconds, but then the aftereffect of the blade's attack split the waters in two, carving a wide hole that opened it up like a curtain. On the face of the mountain was a deep and dark cavern, as she mentioned. They did not have ample time to cross.

"Now, go!" Momiji said, pointing the blade towards the open cavern that she revealed. Without any hesitation, Mokou was the first one to dash along the pond, running along the water at high speed. Keine had already removed her hat, and in her were-hakutaku form, she carried Sumireko on her back, as she wasn't able to run across the water in her dazed state. Eirin and Reisen, who were running together, looked up to the mountain's summit. They could see a glimmer of light shining at the top.

"Kaguya's tear," Eirin said. Reisen nodded with her. It was still there, meaning they had plenty of time to reach her.

One at a time, they entered the cave. The only person that didn't pursue them was Momiji, who stabbed her sword into the ground.

"Proceed through the cave," she shouted, and it will take you to the summit. Good luck to you!" A smile stretched her face. "Tell the princess I said 'awoo!' She'll know what it means!" She waved farewell to them, and within seconds, the mountain's waterfall crashed down, concealing the cavern once more.

The inside of the mountain would have been impossibly dark, if it hadn't been for the dimly lit torches that hung up on the rocky walls. For better illumination, however, Mokou raised her right hand up about chest height and ignited her entire arm, the flames providing a great source of light. Slowly but surely, they proceeded up the path before them, which inclined upwards almost in a spiral. The light didn't get any brighter through their travels, but they had very little to worry about distance as most of their work had already been cut out for them.

"So... Mokou." Eirin finally spoke, her voice echoing somewhat in the cavern. Mokou, who was walking ahead of all of them, didn't turn back to look at her. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, leaning an ear for Eirin to continue talking. "Forgive me for being so blunt, but you know I don't believe you about using Sumireko's 'project' as an excuse for saving Princess Kaguya, yes?" Mokou hummed silently.

"...I figured," Mokou replied. "Your strong psychology makes me wonder what the actual psychics do for a living." There was a brief silence as they continued going upwards, and Eirin narrowed her eyes at her.

"Then," she huffed, "what is your _true_ intentions?" It was with this question that Mokou turned her head over her shoulder, still continuing onward up the spiral as she looked at Eirin.

"Is there an option for me to _not_ tell you?" Mokou sounded combative. Eirin sped up to Mokou's side, clearly very frustrated.

"It is quite important that I know," Eirin demanded. "Knowing you, you're likely to harm the princess as soon as you see her to fulfill your sick antics."

"Eirin!" Keine exclaimed. Mokou came to a halt, turning to Eirin with a grunt on her face.

"I'm saying that it's none of your business as to why I'm saving her to begin with!" She thundered. The entire cave echoed quickly with her voice, and it was silent once again. Sumireko looked at the two with great concern, and Reisen folded her arms. "It's just... it's my responsibility, okay?" She turned away from everybody. "I'm doing this for her... to save her. Just don't worry about it." She proceeded up the path by herself, and everybody looked to each other for the moment. Sumireko was the only one to continue behind, and the rest of the group soon followed. There was silence for a while thereafter.

"_Mokou... you really do care for Kaguya, don't you?"_ Sumireko thought to herself. _"I can tell... you're so determined. You can hide it all you want, but..." _She smiled, leaving her sentence unfinished on purpose.

_The Wind God's Lake_

After hours of climbing, they finally reached the peak point of Youkai Mountain. The landmark that they arrived in—the Wind God's Lake—was an extravagantly large lake that expanded for quite a distance. One unique aspect of being in close proximity of the lake was that the sun had been eclipsed, and the sky was bathed in an eerie deep purple coloration; an optical illusion created only for visitors of the lake. A few feet ahead of them, in the lake, was an odd scar in the middle of the air. That was Kaguya's tear, and it was a portal that they could use to transport to the Lunar Capital. It survived since its creation... something that could have only been held together Kaguya herself.

"...That's it," Eirin said. Mokou clenched her fist, snuffing the flames out. "That's one of Kaguya's tears. If we step through it, we should end up in the Lunar Capital."

"No hesitation this time, guys." Mokou looked back to everybody. "We're not leaving until we get Kaguya back."

"It's going to be so rare, seeing this capital for the first time... I'm so excited," Sumireko said. "Hopefully my ESP won't be too shoddy for them!" She laughed to herself. Mokou, without much to say, stepped into the waters of the Wind God's Lake. Despite its depth—which was an untold number of stories deep—Mokou's single footstep was unhindered. It was as if she was stepping on concrete. Everybody else went with her, and the water didn't give way. As Mokou was the first to reach the tear, she reached her hand out to touch it, and closed her eyes slowly as a warm light enveloped all of them.


	4. Part 4 - Genso-Lunar Fusion

_The Lunar Capital_

There was a long pause of silence. The water that was beneath them faded. The howling wind that enveloped them dissipated, and they were met with silence and darkness. Eventually, Mokou opened her eyes back up, and she tilted her head upwards. Looking at their surrounding atmosphere, the tear was successful; they arrived at the Lunar Capital, in an alleyway. Skyscrapers littered the dark city, with lights and signboards posted everywhere upon them. It was indeed a metropolis that Kaguya spoke of years ago, and their technology surpassed that of the Outside World dramatically.

The alleyway they were in led right out to one of the main streets in the capital, where flying vehicles were traversing above the ground. The other citizens—primarily moon rabbits—were walking on foot, if not travelling by vacuum tubes that brought them to various sections. Looking straight up, they could see that the city was in a transparent dome; looking past it, the Earth could be seen right through it.

"Wh-whoa..." Sumireko gasped, surveying the area. She the first human likely to set foot in the Lunar Capital. Eirin heaved a heavy sigh. Reisen was immediately met with dread upon arrival, her rabbit ears drooping. Keine already had a book out, writing down the environment that surrounded her, likely to tell the children back at the school in the human village.

"...Hoo boy," Mokou grunted. "How are we supposed to find Kaguya in this... mess?" She took two steps forward, looking down at the ground. Much to her surprise, the entire city wasn't built on concrete, it was built on metallic flooring that lit up with each footstep. "Ugh. This is too much for me already."

"Here," Reisen said, stepping forward. "I'll send out ESP waves to see if we can detect her." She shut her eyes tight before opening them up wide, glowing red as her ears acted like an antenna. Small invincible waves emitted from her, and it was enough to cover the block; but Kaguya was nowhere to be detected. She blinked twice, disabling the effect. "I've checked the area, but she's not here... I can only go so far."

"Ah, perhaps I can help!" Sumireko stepped forward, flipping her hair as she pulled out a quick Zener card, placing it betwixt her fingers. It was a green star, one that she stuck out in the air before her, leaving it there as it floated before them. Holding both of her arms out before placing one to her head, she stared intently at the card. "Try your waves now," she continued. Reisen blinked hard before sharply staring at the card with bright red eyes. Sumireko, at the same time, closed her eyes and kept them closed. Together, they channeled their ESP waves together toward the card, and the card amplified them back out at a greater radius, more than enough to cover the entire moon, let alone the city itself.

"Aha, there!" Reisen said, cutting her waves off. The card stopped floating and returned to Sumireko's hand, who returned it into her sleeve. Reisen blinked thrice, dissipating the glow her eyes gave off. "She's in custody of the goddess Sagume Kishin... at the Moon Palace." Her lips quivered as she could detect Kaguya's status. "She's not dead, but... she's dying." Mokou grit her teeth and clenched her fists, and Eirin folded her arms, showing much distress.

"...Of all people, Sagume?" Eirin whispered to herself. She looked to Mokou, who was clearly seething. Embers surrounded her, and her hair flowed from the pressure that she was giving off. With this clear intent alone, Eirin could easily tell that Mokou was indeed distraught by Kaguya's current state. _"Mokou..."_ She thought to herself, feeling regret that she doubted her in the first place.

"...Lead the way," Mokou grumbled through her teeth. Reisen nodded. She seemed to have broken a slight sweat from channeling her ESP waves, whereas Sumireko didn't show any signs of strain. Moving out of the alleyway, they blended into the crowd, trying their best to act nonchalant.

_Outside of the Moon Palace, near the center of the Lunar Capital_

Kaguya was restrained outside of the Moon Palace, in a courtyard where Moon Palace Guards kept her intact. She was bound by her arms and her feet, her arms spread with her feet together. She kept her head held down, and she was unconscious, bridging life and death. Sagume approached her, walking down an ornate brick path that remained unchanged in comparison to the futuristic buildings surrounding them. With a hand to her face, she glanced at Mokou, who was desperately trying to recover from her wounds. The restraints put in place, however, slowed her recovery rate dramatically.

"Yorihime and Toyohime..." Sagume thought to herself. "They won't be returning for a while, leaving me in charge of the Moon Palace." She was referencing the two Lunarian princesses who owned the Moon Palace, and were in charge of the Lunarian Defense Corps. As such, they were away on military business, training the rabbits to use as emissaries for future endeavors. She sounded comfortable and confident in herself, as she was the one to take charge of the Palace. "Lady Yagokoro did the right thing protecting you all these years. She knew if the Moon got its hands on you, this would happen... but I'm not going to execute you as they would." A sneer was drawn on her lips. "I have a good interest in that Hourai Elixir... maybe you could tell me more about it." She chuckled to herself. From behind her back, a white wing extended itself on her right side. The wing expanded, small white feathers falling from it as they turned into charged danmaku bullet particles, aimed at Kaguya's seemingly lifeless body.

_The front of the Moon Palace_

Despite all appearances of the Lunar Capital, the Moon Palace had an oriental design to it, reminiscent of traditional Japanese architecture found in archaic parts of the Outside World. Watatsuki no Yorihime and Watatsuki no Toyohime, the two sisters that own the entire Palace, kept the design that way as they were quite used to it. As Mokou and the others arrived, they were met with large wooden doors that towered over them.

"There's no way they'd let me through the front door," Mokou thought to herself. "At the same time, those Watatsuki sisters appear to not be here, otherwise I would have been killed ten times over... just to play it safe, I'll leap over." Mokou turned to the others. Reisen was apparently channeling her ESP waves yet again, scanning the area. Blinking twice, she turned her head to Mokou.

"There are guards on the other side of this gate," she said. "We're not going to get to Kaguya without a fight... the lack of guards at the doorstep is a ruse."

"I figured as much," Mokou sighed deeply. "I guess we'll have to go around then, yes?" Mokou crouched down, preparing to leap onto the edge of the gate. Keine put a hand on Mokou's arm, stopping her from jumping.

"...No," Keine shook her head. "We'll need a distraction. Sagume will most likely target us if we make the most noise, giving you a chance to get Kaguya out." She slowly turned her head to Reisen and Eirin, who looked at each other, then back at Keine.

"You're not appointing _us_ as the distraction, are you?" Reisen asked, raising an eyebrow. Keine nodded to her, and Reisen shrugged. She seemed to be okay with being a distraction; she just was hoping it wasn't going to be involuntary.

"These Lunarians seem to enjoy their technology much," Sumireko said, "but let's see if it's strong enough to handle my extrasensory perception." She winked, unveiling a rainbow of Zener cards that surrounded her. Keine was quick to remove her hat, releasing her hakutaku form. Eirin and Reisen readied their bow and finger guns respectively, and Mokou turned back around, flames cradling her hands.

"Right, then..." Mokou crouched down again, fires emitting from her feet as she jumped straight up. Keine, who was right behind her, got a running start before ramming her head into the door, knocking it straight through. The doors collapsed on the ground, knocking up moon dust.

"Intruders in the Moon Palace!" Shouted one of the guards. "It's the Gensokyo natives!"

"Alert the goddess Sagume! They might be here for Kaguya!" Another shouted. Reisen somersaulted cleanly over Keine, landing in a kneeling position as she pointed her fingers outward, firing several magical bullets that exploded on the ground that the soldiers stood on. Eirin hopped right up with Mokou, who only stood there for a few short moments before vaulting towards the Moon Palace itself, crashing into the window on the third floor. Eirin drew three arrows through the use of aetherial energy, picking three targets separately. Homing in on them, she fired them all at once, and the arrows sought out their targets before piercing them through their bodies directly.

"There!" One of the Moon Guards shouted. They held a laser rifle in their arms, capable of firing plasma rounds that could melt flesh. She took aim at Reisen, who wasn't paying well enough attention to notice the oncoming attack. Charging the gun by holding the trigger, they released it to fire a barrage of bullets with supreme accuracy. Sumireko stepped in just in time, swiping a Zener card from midair and holding it outward in a single hand; the same golden Zener card that she used against Momiji. Swatting at the plasma bullets with insane speed, she knocked them all away without compromising the positions of her own allies. Throwing the card out to the last bullet, it intercepted its trajectory, reflecting it back to the Moon Guard that fired it. Not only did the bullet knock the plasma rifle out of their hand, but the gun exploded, taking them with it. Sumireko snatched the card from midair and returned it to her deck, laughing at the Moon Guard.

Keine deftly sprinted along the battlefield. Reaching the first soldier, they were paralyzed from the extreme speed and couldn't react in time. She hopped up to them, lifting her legs up and drop kicking them with great pressure, kicking them into a wall and knocking them through it. With the force she unleashed, she kicked off of the air and backflipped onto another soldier, maiming them with her horns. Noticing quickly that somebody had tried to sneak up on her and shoot from behind, she held the dying Moon Guard up as a body shield, allowing it to take the bullets for her. She then threw the body at the guards, which served as a clever enough distraction for her to appear behind the guard. She put her entire hand on the back of the guard's head, slamming it through the ground with great force.

"Hurry up in there, Mokou," Keine said to herself, wiping away a bloodstain on her cheek. "The Watatsuki sisters will catch wind of this, I'm sure of it... how bothersome."

Mokou, picking glass out of her arms as she jumped into the Moon Palace so brazenly, clenched her teeth and admired the architecture around her. The inside was well detailed; the walkway on the third floor could get a clear view of the ground floor from where she was, and a large tree grew in the center. Looking up, the tree seemed to grow for quite a few floors, all the way up to the roof. Mokou kept her hands in her pockets, calmly taking a breath in. Nobody was in her way now.

"...Here I come, Kaguya," Mokou said as she reached the end of the room. It led out to a parapet which overlooked the courtyard in the back, and once she reached the end, she looked over the edge. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she let out a shaky gasp. Kaguya was splayed, and right underneath her were dried puddles of blood. Sagume, who seemed to have anticipated Mokou's arrival, looked up at her from the ground. She kept her hand on her face, and Mokou grimaced at her. She jumped from the parapet, landing only a few feet away from Sagume. Silence was stagnant between them as they stared at each other. It was only then that Sagume raised an eyebrow to break the tension.

"...Oh? A human?" Sagume scoffed. "What business do you have, trespassing this sacred area?" Mokou kept her left hand in her pocket, holding her right arm out to point at Sagume. She narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips together, showing much frustration.

"I've come to take Princess Kaguya back," Mokou said clearly. "She's violated many laws returning to the Moon and we shall put her back in exile. So, if I were you, I'd relinquish her _immediately_." Sagume turned her head to look at Kaguya before facing Mokou yet again.

"Would you look at that, Princess?" Sagume said. "They said that they're here to return you back to your prison on that lowly Earth, where you belong." She laughed to herself, quietly at first before turning maniacal. Her laughter eventually subsided into a sigh of relief, and her smile dissipated to an angry frown. "How dare you," she spoke darkly. "You, a mortal from Earth, thinking that you have some power over me..." Mokou faced forward to Sagume, taking her hands out of her pockets. "On this imperishable night..." Sagume let her wing extend from her right arm, grinning sadistically. "Kaguya and her Hourai Elixir are a secret that must be unlocked eventually." Mokou raised an eyebrow at her.

"...You're going to interrogate her for the elixir?" She asked clearly. Sagume nodded, not wanting her words to turn against her.

"For me to be a successful goddess, I must have faith. Faith from the mortals that worship me... faith in all that are inspired by my power." She held her arms out to her sides, taking a deep breath in. "If they are blessed with this—the lethal liquor of Seventh Heaven—I could have limitless access to faith. I shall bless this world."

"You're suddenly very talkative... but, I have to ask; are you done talking?" Mokou said angrily. Sagume's hands fell right back down to her sides slowly, looking at Mokou with a confident smirk. "Kaguya will never give up the Hourai Elixir to somebody like you, for one. If that's why you have her captured and detained like this, then you'd better let her go right this minute." Her arms flared up in heat instantly, and the ground around her was a circle of flames. "Or I'll put you down right where you stand!"

"Oh my!" Sagume laughed, her wing shedding feathers that surrounded her. "You threaten me? A mortal threatening a goddess?" Mokou grunted loudly, taking a step back before dashing quickly towards Sagume.

"Eat my flames!" Mokou shouted, channeling her flames directly to her fists.

"Be careful!" Sagume shouted back. As soon as she mentioned that, Mokou's very next footstep—right out of nowhere—caused her to slip up. She lost her footing and nearly tripped over absolutely nothing. Sagume took advantage and channeled aether energy into her feathers, transforming them into danmaku bullets to attack her. Mokou gasped and allowed herself to fall, and Sagume fired her bullets. Grazing Mokou's skin, the bullets missed, disappearing before they struck the Moon Palace.

"Shoot," Mokou said. "I remember this... Sagume's stupid ability." She rolled along the ground, hopping right back up to her feet. She was right back where she started. Sagume released more feathers from her lone wing. She held her hand up to her face, chuckling into it as she shut her eyes tight. She seemed to do that very often.

"As expected of a mortal..." Sagume sighed. "How are you even here, on this Moon...?" Her question could only be heard by herself.

"Talking to nobody?" Mokou said aloud. "Don't toy with me!" She ignited flames in her feet before jumping straight up into the air, looking down at Sagume to try and take the overhead advantage of her. She didn't look up at her in return.

"It's good that you could jump that high," Sagume smirked. "Just don't fall and get hurt!" Opening her eyes wide, a glimmer appeared as she closed out her sentence. There was a long pause before Sagume removed her hand from her face, letting it simply drop to her sides. Mokou came crashing down onto the ground not even a moment after, landing face first as dust rose from the sharp decline. It was unclear as to what force hit her, but it was successful in stopping her movements completely.

"...Grr," Mokou growled, coughing as the wind was knocked out of her. Sagume approached slowly, looking down to her enemy. She dropped her heel down on Mokou's head, burying her face in the ground as a fiendish smirk stretched across her devilish lips.

"What a travesty..." Sagume snickered. "I am _going _to get that Hourai Elixir, and you can't stop me." She grinded the heel of her brown shoes against the back of Mokou's head. "You should have known better than to come here, trying to save this scoundrel of a princess. If you can't even save her, then nobody can save you."

"Sagume Kishin!" A voice called out immediately, cutting off her evil sentence. It was Eirin, who called out to her from the third-floor parapet. Her bow was drawn, with arrow in hand. Sagume turned her head up with parted lips as she heard the familiar voice, noticing that it was indeed hers. Eirin threw her bow off to her side, forcing it to disappear into aether. With a glowing smile, she waved to Sagume, bowing respectively before leaping from the parapet.

"Ah, Lady Yagokoro... how unexpected!" A smile beamed across Sagume's face. "You have returned to the Moon, the same as the wench before you... What brings you back here, Lady Yagokoro? Is it for her?"

"Actually, Sagume... I was here to stop this mortal from trying to rescue the princess." She looked down to Mokou with a smirk.

"Eirin...!" Mokou muffled, trying to free herself from under Sagume's foot. Sagume only crushed her head more, sneering.

"I see... so this human is not with you." Sagume mumbled.

"No, we were planning on returning her back to the Earth... dead, of course." Eirin was giving off somewhat of a dark aura off of her. Mokou managed to see well enough to the side that she was being given a malicious look by the two of them.

"Well, now that you have returned... the Hourai Elixir. Are you familiar with it?" Sagume asked. Eirin looked to her with a smile on her face.

"Affirmative," Eirin nodded. "But, before I give you that information, Sagume..." Eirin slipped a pair of spectacles on her face, pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. Clicking the pen with a friendly smile, she looked up to Sagume. "Are you feeling well today?" There was a short paused, and Sagume smiled back at her.

"Why, yes!" She chimed, with a broad smile on her face. "I actually feel very good today and—"

Her speech was cut short. Her eyes widened in surprise as she just realized what she had said. Covering her mouth with a gasp, her body began shaking tumultuously. She had begun to feel very ill all of a sudden; her stomach started wrenching, and it was very difficult for her to breathe. It was a very strong illness, one that caused her to turn somewhat pale.

"...Almost too easy," Eirin said, clicking the pen shut and putting the paper away.

"L... Lady Yagokoro...!?" Her foot slipped off of Mokou's head as she had begun to feel woozy.

"I'll free Princess Kaguya," Eirin said to Mokou. "You can handle the rest as you see fit." Eirin stepped past the two, moving to Kaguya to see about freeing her from her fetters.

"Eirin... Yagokoro...! You shall peri—" Before Sagume could finish her sentence, Mokou reached her arm up and grabbed Sagume by her entire face, silencing her. Mokou, who was clearly very angry, lifted her head off of the small indented ground, dirt and stains on her face. She growled at the goddess.

"There, there... I'll heal you, princess," Eirin cooed softly. She placed a hand on Kaguya's body. The restraints that held her together were halting her regeneration powers, but Eirin was able to heal her well enough for the bleeding to stop. She couldn't, however, break the restraints; it was held together tightly through Sagume, somehow. The sound of pummeling could be heard in the background as Mokou was using her own concentrated flames to knock Sagume around. She ignited Sagume's entire body with flames before dousing them out by slamming her to the ground, lifting her back up again.

"I'm _sick_ of all you Lunarians," Mokou shouted, holding Sagume up by her throat with both hands, choking her. "All high and mighty... you think that just because you're a goddess, you have control over everything, don't you?" Her grip had gotten tighter.

"You're... all fools," Sagume managed, wincing. "With the Hourai Elixir, I can save humanity... nobody will die. Isn't... that what you wanted... Fujiwara no Mokou?" Mokou grunted, her arm starting to slack. "Release me... and I will grant you what Kaguya defied you. I will give you and all of the people you cherish this Elixir!"

"...Eternal life for everyone?" Mokou said, looking away from Sagume. "The people that I guide..."

"Mokou, stop! Her words! She's deceiving you!" Eirin shouted. Sagume, with enough strength, extended her wing out as quickly as she could. Mokou, who focused her sight on Sagume's wing, noticed the feathers extend out over her. The feathers quickly transformed into bullets and flew out at Mokou, piercing right through her body like blades through meat. She was forced to relinquish her grasp as she choked up blood, falling onto her back. The bullets disappeared before she collapsed.

"...Die, mortal...!" Sagume shouted with a gasping breath as she fell to her knees. Eirin reached out to Mokou from where she stood in a futile attempt, clenching her teeth. Sagume laughed weakly, fighting to stand up to her feet whilst turning her head to Eirin. Eirin quickly drew her bow and prepared an arrow in the bowstring.

"Do not take a single step!" Eirin warned. "I will not allow you to harm the princess anymore; my life will be taken before hers!" Her fingers were ready to succumb to temptation, wanting to fire an arrow at a moment's notice. Sagume continued laughing, just as hysterically as when she encountered Mokou.

"Lady Yagokoro... you have outlived the Lunar Capital, outlived Lord Tsukuyomi... and you left it all because this godless whore was exiled for her selfishness—to which you aided her in that." She put a hand to her face, still chuckling. "Now, you have the audacity to further defile the Moon by bringing this mortal here, and for what? To have them bleed all over this hallowed ground?" She extended her wing, her eye visible through her spread fingers that covered her face. "I will kill you, Eirin... just as I did to this human laying before me."

Eirin closed her eyes slowly, lessening her pull on the bowstring. She smirked proudly.

"...She's not dead," Eirin spoke up. Sagume raised an eyebrow at her.

"Pardon me...?" Sagume grunted. Right in her hands, Eirin's bow disappeared.

"The mortal that you 'killed...' the one that lays before you. She has already partaken of the Hourai Elixir!" Sagume gasped loudly, taken aback by Eirin's words. She looked down to Mokou, who had already stood back up. Her clothes were caked with blood spots, and she shook off the pain, giving Sagume a dark grimace. "N-No... it can't be... she already drank from the Hourai Elixir before me...? A mortal!?"

"Shut up!" Mokou scoffed, balling up a tight fist as she lifted it up as hard as she could to Sagume's chin, delivering a painful—yet satisfying—uppercut. It almost knocked Sagume off of her feet, but before she could fall back, Mokou grabbed Sagume's shoulder with her left arm to keep her stable before headbutting her. She then threw Sagume into the air, holding her right arm out so that it lined up with her trajectory. "Burn away! Spell Card: Imperishable Shooting!" At point blank range, Mokou created magical leylines in her palms that hummed loudly before unleashing an untold number of fire-charged bullets onto Sagume's body. She screamed loudly in pain as the flames engulfed her blasting her out of the Moon Palace's courtyard in a smoky blaze. Mokou closed her hand to stop the bullets, hunching over and panting heavily. Eirin sighed in relief to her, turning back to Kaguya. The fetters that held her in place started to warp and twist, becoming weak as Sagume was defeated.

"Ah, the restraints!" Eirin gasped. Mokou turned her head sharply to Kaguya. The chains had broken suddenly, disappearing into light particles as Kaguya had begun to fall. Mokou swiftly rushed over to the falling Kaguya, sliding on her knees to catch her before she could hit the ground.

"Gotcha!" Mokou panted, cradling the princess in her arms. Kaguya's bloodstains have already dried up, and her wounds were starting to heal properly, thanks to Eirin's help. "Kaguya... Kaguya!" Mokou called out, shaking her steadily. Kaguya, however, would not come to.

"...She may have fallen completely unconscious," Eirin said. "We'll have to take her to the—" Eirin was cut off suddenly, as a Moon Palace guard flew through the door leading out to the courtyard. He landed on his face and tumbled along the ground, groaning in pain as he held his stomach. The culprits of the sudden intrusion were none other than Keine, Sumireko and Reisen, who ran through the door to meet Eirin and Mokou.

"Eirin! Mokou!" Keine called out. "We saw the spell card and came running... is Sagume Kishin defeated?" Mokou nodded in response, turning to Kaguya with a forlorn face. "Oh, thank goodness... and is Princess Kaguya well? Will she recover timely?" Eirin knelt down beside Kaguya, examining her wounds more clearly.

"She will be fine, of course," Eirin replied. "I will need to tend to her wounds as soon as possible. She cannot afford to remain in this state for too long..."

"...Eirin." Mokou spoke her name as she picked her head up to look at her. Eirin looked back at her with raised eyebrows. "I'd like to take her home with me."

"What!?" Everybody collectively said, excluding Eirin, whose only reply was a light gasp through parted lips.

"But, Mokou!" Keine started to speak worriedly.

"I believe that she can do it," Sumireko spoke. "Mokou came all this way—"

"Not happening," Reisen interrupted with folded arms. "Princess Kaguya is coming with us back to Eientei and we will give her the proper rest she needs. We didn't go on this wild chase just to have it happen again, and—"

"Understood. I'll allow it, Mokou." Eirin replied to Mokou with a smile.

"What!?" Everybody repeated themselves in unison, excluding Mokou, who met Eirin's gaze with her own.

"Eirin," Reisen said in an almost pleading tone, "we _need_ to take Princess Kaguya back home! What if Kaguya wakes up and she tries the same thing again!?" Eirin looked to Reisen, her smile fading quickly.

"I _said_ I'll allow it," Eirin replied in a harsh tone. "I trust Mokou with Kaguya this time. We've come this far, after all. With that having been said, Mokou..." She turned her head back to Mokou. "Please look after her until she decides to return. I will destroy you if you don't."

"U-Understood," Mokou stammered. For once, she actually felt nervousness creeping up in her; this was most likely due to the fact that Eirin would truly destroy her if it came down to it.

"Good," Eirin smiled. "Now, it's best if we get out of here. If the Watatsuki sisters come back and you're all still here, I cannot guarantee your survival." Everybody jumped up in surprise. Eirin and Mokou stood up, with Kaguya being held in Mokou's arms. Beating a hasty retreat, they left the Moon Palace, unhindered by any guards as they have already been defeated.

_Fujiwara no Mokou's Home_

It had taken nearly a whole day's worth of travel, but with the help of Momiji Inubashiri, Mokou and company had finally returned to the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. By the time they made it, night had fallen and the Moon was looming over them. Mokou was the first to step home. She had carried Kaguya the whole entire trip, and she was clearly exhausted. Taking a left down the first walkway, she proceeded directly into her room, sliding the door open and laying Kaguya down gently into her bed.

"Ahh, finally..." Sumireko stretched, staying in the living room. "I'm... beat."

"_You're_ beat?" Reisen said, sitting on the floor. "My ears are killing me... I'm exhausted." Sumireko sat beside Reisen, falling onto her back and sighing contentedly. Keine shook her head at them as she took her shoes off before entering, letting out a loud yawn. Eirin stepped in right after her, repeating the same action, although her yawn was weaker. She stretched her arms out above her head before letting out a strong sigh.

"Sumireko, I do have to return to the Human Village," Keine nodded to Sumireko. "Mokou has given us passage to sleep here in the guest bedroom for the night, but I will be returning early tomorrow morning to help guide you to the Outside World." Sumireko nodded from the floor, her body sprawled out.

"Reisen, do not rest long," Eirin stated. "We still need to get back to Eientei. Tewi's most likely worried sick; we didn't tell her we were leaving for so long." She was referring to another Moon Rabbit, Tewi Inaba, who was the leader of all of the earth rabbits yet still was under Reisen's rule.

"Tewi's probably fine," Reisen huffed. "Can't we just stay the night here? You don't really wanna leave Mokou with Kaguya all alone, do you?"

"No," Eirin replied quickly. "You and I both know that you and Tewi have duties that you need to finish at Eientei anyway. Tomorrow's the deadline for completion, and by tomorrow, I mean by _midnight_, Reisen."

"But, Eirin...! It's going to take three days for us to get _back_ to Eientei!" Reisen complained, throwing herself back onto the floor. Eirin sucked her teeth.

"Then I guess you'd better get moving," she smirked tauntingly. "Or else it'll get worse the longer you wait." Reisen hopped up with a defeated groan, slipping her shoes back on at the doorstep. She stormed out the doorway, hopping down from the porch. "And you'd better be there before I do! I'm going to see Mokou off!" Eirin shouted at her. Whether or not Reisen heard her was yet to be confirmed as Eirin walked back inside.

Mokou, still in her bedroom, stared intently over Kaguya while she slept. There was a pained expression on Kaguya's face, and Mokou frowned at her. She clenched her fists and looked away, shaking her head.

"Kaguya, you idiot..." Mokou whispered to herself. "You _knew_ that the Lunar Capital was still hunting you, yet you went anyway and got yourself hurt... and for what?" The volume of her voice started to increase. Eirin could swear that Mokou was starting to tear up, but Mokou choked it back and let out a shaky sigh.

"...Most likely because she knew you would come and save her." Eirin opened up the door completely and made her way in, catching Mokou off guard completely. She turned around fast to find Eirin with her arms folded, looking to Kaguya before she glanced at her.

"Er... what makes you say that?" Mokou asked. Eirin approached her side, looking down to Kaguya.

"Mokou, I cannot tell if you're being naive or if your pride is getting to you," Eirin spoke plainly. "But our entire trip through Youkai Mountain as well as storming the Moon Palace was not done under the premise of you saving her to return her to Eientei. You have a heart for her." Mokou, who was trying hard to hide her intentions, looked down at Kaguya; she decided that it was time to give up the facade.

"...Alright, already," Mokou complained. "There's a lot I regret. A lot of time where she wanted to spend time and I denied her that..." She scratched the back of her head. "So, when she killed me a week or so ago... I've felt nothing but regret. She was trying to make me feel as sad as she was." Clenching her fists, she shook her head lightly. "...Maybe I do have some feelings for her after all."

"...I'm glad you admitted that." Eirin smiled at Kaguya. "Now, given her diagnosis... she should awaken very soon. Just allow her some time to rest, and please rest yourself. Keine told me that you've been awake the whole week that you were supposed to be resting after your death." Mokou looked away nervously. "So, you would do well to get a good night's sleep. I'm returning to Eientei, so I hope you take care of the princess." Eirin turned away from Kaguya and Mokou, moving to the door. Mokou continued looking down at Kaguya, her eyes drooping into sadness.

"...Have a safe trip," Mokou said, before Eirin shut the door behind her. She knelt down to Kaguya, taking her hand and holding it tight. "...Sleep well, princess. I'll take care of your wounds in the morning." She released her hands after some time, standing back up and leaving the room.


	5. Part 5 - Epilogue

___The following morning..._

"Mmngh..."

Mokou groaned as she laid on her living room floor, as she had nowhere else to sleep. She had given her bed to Kaguya, while Keine and Sumireko slept in the guest bedroom. As she continued to lay there, she rubbed her eyes, opening them slowly. A great pressure had overcome her.

"Huh...? What—" Opening her eyes immediately, she found the culprit of the pressure.

Kaguya Houraisan.

"Get up, Fujiwara no Mokou." Kaguya said in a sing-song tone. She was sitting on Mokou, smiling down on her.

"Wh... Kaguya? I'm not dreaming, am I?" Mokou rubbed her eyes harder, and Kaguya was still sitting on her. It was, indeed, a reality. "Kaguya! You're awake!" For once in a long while, Mokou smiled brightly.

"It's about time you woke up… you're too used to sleeping in, aren't you?" Kaguya grinned. Mokou raised an eyebrow at her in confusion.

"What are… you doing on top of me, anyway?" She asked. Mokou's voice woke Sumireko, who emerged from the guest bedroom to see what the commotion was all about.

"Mokou? Is everything alright?" Sumireko called out. She clutched a pillow between her arms, nearly stumbling as she saw Kaguya and Mokou together on the floor. Sumireko dropped her pillow and covered her face with a gasp, blushing rather heavily. "Uhm...!?"

"W-Wait, Sumi, no," Mokou said, waving her arms apprehensively. "It's not what you think! We're just—"

"Aww, Mokou, you're blushing again, just like you did in your sleep..." Kaguya teased, poking Mokou's nose. She flinched almost immediately.

"Never mind! I can come back later!" Sumireko covered her face with the pillow, stammering.

"K-Kaguya! Get off of me!" Mokou grunted right back. Kaguya, of course, would not remove herself from Mokou's body. Sumireko sheepishly tried to backstep into the bedroom, but was stopped by Keine, who waltzed out with a tired look on her face.

"Good morning—agh! What are you doing!?" Keine jumped up.

"_Heeeey!_" Mokou shouted. "Kaguya, c'mon! Get off!"

Needless to say, their reunion went just as expected… and the two were very happy to see each other again.

_Later that night…_

"See you again, Sumireko, Keine!"

Mokou escorted Keine and Sumireko through the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, taking the two to the Human Village. Although the escort was unnecessary—as they've explored the Bamboo Forest many of times—it gave Mokou time to converse with the two as she wasn't sure if she'd ever meet them again. Waving goodbye, she watched as they made their way to the Human Village, where Keine would escort Sumireko back to the Outside World.

"Ahh… there they go." She sighed to herself, shoving her hands into her pockets. Turning around, she headed down the path that led into the thick of the forest. "At least it's a beautiful night to walk through the forest… hmm?" She stopped, as somebody was approaching her.

"…Ah, there you are, Mokou." Surely enough, it was Kaguya. She followed Mokou here.

"Kaguya? What are you doing out here?" Mokou asked, removing her hands from her pockets. "You should be at my house, resting." Kaguya shook her head, brushing a lock of it behind her ear.

"I, well… still have not properly thanked you for saving me from Sagume Kishin's clutches," Mokou scoffed at first, putting her hands back into her pockets again as she couldn't help but smile. The two proceeded into the woods together, set on returning to Mokou's house.

"Why are you even thanking me?" Mokou asked. "Didn't you want this all along?"

"A simple 'you are welcome' would have been a much nicer gesture," Kaguya fired back with a sigh. "You do enjoy playing hard to get, I suppose…"

"…Fair enough," Mokou huffed, shrugging off the statement. She stopped cold in her tracks suddenly, and Kaguya, who was hardly paying attention, walked right into her. Mokou turned around to see her before she fell over from the bump, reaching out to catch her arm. As she did, she pulled her close and took both of her hands. A full-faced blush covered Kaguya's face from the swift movement. "You want me to be more forward? Fine." Mokou took a deep breath. "…I love you, Kaguya Houraisan."

There was a long pause as Kaguya stared at Mokou with wide eyes, breathing in softly.

"…Mokou?" Kaguya sighed shakily. She wasn't sure how to respond to such a movement and just intertwined her fingers with Mokou's. "Y-You are joking, are you not? T-To make such a vulgar advance is so—"

All it took to silence her, for once, was a kiss. Mokou was quick to plant one onto her lips, to which Kaguya was not afraid to accept it. Holding each other with a tightly wrapped hug, the imperishable night was over.

Yet, in the distance…

"All of that just for a kiss…" said the Crow Tengu, Aya Shameimaru, as she managed to capture an image of them using a Polaroid camera. "Hehe… you're one desperate Princess after all, Kaguya Houraisan."


End file.
